'Cause what's NOT violent about running your car through a fruit stand?

We love our local pizza joint, and we went there again tonight. This particular establishment has 4 arcade games in the back, and of course Joshua makes a beeline there each time we go in. The trouble is that 3 of the 4 games are overtly violent. Two are the type where you pick up a gun and fire away and one is the kind where two warriors rip each others heads off (literally). Since early on we said, "we're Dixons, we don't shoot guns and play violent games," that left the fourth game, a racing game called Off Road Challenge.

So Josh loves the race, only he can't reach the gas/brake pedals, so someone has to operate them while he turns the wheel. Tonight it was my turn. We chose the Baja (as in California) course and an off-road rally car, and off we went. We zipped through the first turns before it got more difficult and Josh began to miss turns, which meant that we were suddenly all over the landscape. We annihilated some tumbleweeds, cacti and sand dunes. Fine, right?!? But then we hit one stretch where, inexplicably, there were little fruit stands by the side of the road. Little tiendas with two people inside, some piles of fruit and a sign above the shack that read "fruta."

"We're Dixons, we don't do violent games" was suddenly reduced to a mere slogan as our rally car obliterated fruit stand after fruit stand. The fruit was flying, wood was splintering and, not kidding, you could see the look of horror on the proprietors' faces as our car smashed them to a pulp. And all the while, to my great dismay, my 4 year old is laughing and drooling his way through the race...

I'm told you can also pick a track where bears wander in the roadway and you can demolish them as well. So much for non-violent video-gaming...

Urbana

Urbana is coming! I fly out of Sacramento for St. Louis (this years' location) on the 26th, back on the 1st. Once again I'll be assistant managing the Convention office. Feel free to follow along with the Convention at www.urbana.org

This will be my fifth Urbana. Here's a fun shot from the first one (in 1993):

My Inner Bob Vila

I took a shot this morning at changing out a gear on our balky garage door opener (an overworked machine circa 1994). I'm happy (actually, thrilled...or possibly sinning with pride...) to report success, and a savings of at least $80 and possibly more if we had to replace the unit! I'm hoping we get another 6 months to a year out of it. Here's the photo proof (the faulty gear, its replacment, and then a mid-process shot):

It's really tasty with a few meatballs and a light alfredo...

So there's nothing unusual about there being sickness in our house. We found out today, for instance, that Gracie has an ear infection. But the Dr. visit today also brought with it the news that Josh is suffering from torticollis. What is this thing? We're trying to figure it out, here and here. The Dr. did say that it should resolve on its own, in 3-10 days (pray that it's gone by Christmas!).

The good news in all of this is that Josh's MarioKart aptitude is unaffected, and, besides, how cool is it to say, "yeah, uh, we're dealing with a touch of torticollis around here."

It's not a "mancrush," but it's close...

I love Brian Williams. In a house that is an abc30 house for our local news, I catch Brian Williams as much as possible in the evenings. I know all the pundits and their talk of news bias and whatnot, but the dude can read a teleprompter, and he has a great voice and calming demeanor. It is truly a joy to watch him read the news...

Brian (and others) blog; it's called "the Daily Nightly." Check it out here.

Marking one year in Blogland...

A belated Happy Blog Anniversary to me! I wrote my first blog entry on December 4, 2005 during, of all things, a retreat of silence in Las Vegas (don't tell Melissa!). Random. I've learned a few things over the past year:

1. It's tough to post every day. I was just reading a blog and the writer was lamenting his "blog block." I get that, because it's important for me to write or post something meaningful, and there are just some days where the meaning is elusive, you know?

2. I love to write. A friend and Staff partner of mine once told me, before the publication of his third book, that "writing is a spiritual discipline for me." I'm not sure I would take it that far for myself, but I really do like to write, and I think I communicate better and more clearly on paper (not that anyone uses paper anymore...).

3. I blog for myself first. I love those of you who comment either by replying or in emails or conversations, but I've come to realize that I blog primarily because it's good for me to blog. The blog lets me express, synthesize, vent, be deep (or not) and, well, have fun. The more I do it, the better for me.

4. I'm more chill now. When I started I said this: "This blog is my attempt to make sense of the complexity that I live in in all sorts of areas, to define the tensions and to live in an articulated middle." Now that sounds noble! I think I have done some of that, but one year on, I'm less concerned about resolving complexity than I am about...simply expressing myself. Too much pressure "articulating middles" all the time!

Anyway, thanks to those of you who've read along for this year. I'm blessed to have you.

As good as it gets?!?

The odds of our family of 5 taking a picture where all of us are smiling and looking at the camera have to be right around winning the lottery or snow falling in Fresno in mid-July. Here was our best effort from a couple weeks back!

Your Self Worth Fix

Need some encouragement? A self-esteem boost? Do this 10 times and call me in the morning...

Just type in www.yourfirstname.yourlastname.youaremighty.com (for me it would be www.rob.dixon.youaremighty.com) into your browser and enjoy.

Overheard from my two year old

following a "toot:"

"Daddy, Daddy, I have new, special gas!"

Overheard from the front room...

Josh woke up this morning throwing up (too much popcorn last night?!?). He's in with, of course, the MarioKart and I just asked him if he wanted to quit and go lay down with a movie. He just yelled:

"Hey Daddy, I'm healed now."

Praise the Lord.

In 15 years we'll be sitting around the dinner table remembering the time...

...when 2 year old Lucy somehow locked herself in Mommy and Daddy's room for 20 minutes and started opening the Christmas presents that Grammy sent in the mail...

True story.